River Arts North [aka the RiNo District]- Denver’s premier arts revitalization story

My evaluation uses the small geography for River North (aka RiNo) from the Platte River to Larimer St but all the way down to 20th St and up to 38th st and thus includes much of the Ballpark District.

RiNo is a newer neighborhood name that grew out of the arts revitalization of a previously industrial area. But RiNo is actually a combination of parts of several neighborhoods including the Ballpark District, 5 Points, and Globeville. The revitalization of RiNo started in the 1990s as artists were inspired by the frayed industrial environment and converted many old industrial spaces and garages into workspaces. It was a gritty and interesting place with the South Platte River running through it, full of vacant lots and vast swaths of junkyard . Now RiNo has, like many American arts revitalization efforts, become popular and its Denver’s fasting growing neighborhood with new apartment buildings sprouting up everyone.

As an urbanist I generally feel this is the natural and positive movement that reclaims underperforming and desolate industrial space back into the wholesome urban fabric of a City. But many lament that it creates gentrification and a loss of authenticity. Regardless, the scale of new bldgs and housing in RiNo is staggering and something to learn from. I particular like the mixed-use character of RiNo-‘s revitalization efforts and seamless connection to Dwtn/Union Station. RiNo also has excellent public and bike infrastructure and wonderful cultural amenities thanks to the still thriving arts scene. Amazingly there is still more room for urban infill here and urban connectivity could be improved. Schools are also utterly lacking thanks to a few children living here & tree canopy is thin thanks to the industrial legacy.

Click here to view my RiNo album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great ADA infrastructure except for some industrial areas where the sidewalk got torn up.
* Very convenience access to Dwtn. Some parts of RiNo and within 1 mile of the CBD/Union Station,
* Great public transit and bike infrastructure.
* Pretty good racial diversity here.
* Generally a very safe district. Still some gritty and desolate spots.
* Lots of apartments available and generally on the expensive. Fair amount of “Moderately priced” studios and 1-beds but they sell anywhere from 1.3K-3K. 2-beds lease btwn 1.3K- mid 3Ks. 3-beds are limited and lease in the 3 & 4 Ks.
* Great cultural amenities here including a wide range of Ford & Beverage stores, the ballpark, tons of art galleries, a handful of museums, lots of live music venues & night clubs and a couple theaters. All great access to all the Dwtn Cultural amenities.
* Good park amenities including the Platte Recreational Trail, the large Cuernavaca Park, the new Arts Park, and the Globeville Landing Park
* Great retail amenities including lots of boutique & clothing’s stores (Some brand name), a couple major supermarkets and a Co-Op, several drug stores, several home goods and gift shops, plenty of banks, a public library, a couple book stores, tons of salons, gyms, and dessert stores, and some churches. Great access to all the Dwtn retail amenities as well.
* Great urban infill throughout.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So density thanks to all the industrial land and railways still remaining in the RiNo district.
* Connectivity is a mix bag. Its good near the stadium and the eastern half of the district but becomes rather poor closes to the river in the previously industrial areas.
*So so economic diversity and horrible generational diversity as this is a very heavy young professional district.
* No walkable schools within the RiNo district. A handful of options in the adjacent Curtis Park neighborhood.
* For sale options are expensive but good amount of 1-bed condos available. Those sell btwn 400K-850K, 2-beds btwn 500K & low 1Ms, 3 & 4 beds btwn 600K and 1.5 M.
* With its industrial legacy tree canopy isn’t great right now but will get better as there are 100s of new trees being planted with the new developments.
* Limited historic infill.

Curtis Park- Denver’s Historic African American Community

I expanded the traditional boundaries of Curtis Park to touch North Capital Hill to the south at 20th Ave and Park Ave.

Curtis Park is one of Denver’s oldest district and developed mostly in the late 19th century. The district was first developed by the rich but this did not last long as waves of immigrants settled in the neighborhood by the late 19th century leading to row housing nestling next to mansions ad the wealthy moved on to Capitol and other areas. One of Curtis Park’s first immigration waves was by Jewish immigrants in the turn of the 20th century. By the 20th century Curtis Park became know as the “Harlem of the West” due to a major influx of African Americans. From the 1920s to the 1950s the community thrived anchored along the Welton Corridor. Yet, like with most 20th century African American neighborhoods, Curtis Park fell into decline starting around 1960 with White flight. Things started to turn around in the 1990s and now Curtis Park is booming. This of course has lead to a rapid rise in housing prices and made homeownership out of reach for many of its legacy residents yet the district retains a very health economic and racial diversity.

From an urban perspective Curtis Park also excels as a highly walkable neighborhood thanks to great public transit/bike access and convenient local biz districts and Dwtn. The district also has great cultural and retail amenities, wonderful historic and modern urban architecture, and a decent # of walkable schools. While this is already a top Denver neighborhood, for it to became a premiere urban district Curtis Park needs better tree canopy, more parks and schools, better generational diversity, and improved safety.

Click here to view my Curtis Park on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent public transit and bike infrastructure
* Great and convenient access to Dwtn among all modes of transport. Only a mile away from most parts of the district.
* Excellent racial and economic diversity.
* Quality sidewalk infrastructure and about 70% of all curb cuts are up to modern standards.
* Solid access to walkable schools which generally have good ratings.
* Hsg on the pricey but a ton of moderately price condos. 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 350K-600K, 2-beds 400K-low 1Ms, 3 & 4 beds btwn 600-1.5M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Lots of rentals priced in line with other inner City Denver districts.. Studios 1-beds lease anywhere from 1K-the low 2Ks, 2-beds 2K to 4K, 3-beds range anywhere from 2K-5K. Decent about of affordable hsg here as well.
* Decent but not great park amenities with 3 small-medium sized parks well distributed in Curtis Park.
* Solid Tree canopy.
* Great cultural amenities including plenty of food & beverages businesses, several art galleries, many live music venues & night clubs, a couple theaters and local museums. Also great access to all the cultural amenities of Dwtn and the RINO District.
* Solid retail amenities as well including a supermarket, a couple drug stores, lots of boutiques and creative stores, several home goods stores & banks, plenty of dessert shops & gyms, a local public library, tons of churches, and St. Joseph Hospital.
* Overall great urban architecture both historic and new.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Limited children living here but still pretty good age diversity.
* Lack of tree canopy near Dwtn.
* Generally good urban form with the exceptions of the parking lot rich areas next to Dwtn and some autocentric development along Downing and N. Broad.
* Some safety issues but not bad.

Lincoln Park- Denver’s Historic Hispanic Heart

Lincoln Park is one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods located just south of Denver’s founding. Most of the homes were constructed in a modest working class brick style in the late 1880s. Many houses date from about 1900. The neighborhood is also referred to ass “La Alma/Lincoln Park “or the West Side.

Ethnically this was a very eastern European neighborhood until the district’s large influx of Hispanic immigrants in the mid-century. By the 60s & 70s the neighborhood became the heart of Denver’s Chicano Movement and continues to be a major Hispanic hub to this day. Lincoln Park is also home to El Museo de las Americas on Santa Fe Drive, the region’s first museum dedicated to the art and culture of Latinos.

This is a solid neighborhood from a urban perspective with good density, a great walkable biz district (Santa Fe), great public transit/bike infrastructure, excellent cultural and solid retail amenities, and racial and economic diversity. There are still some auto centric dead spaces that could use better urban in-fill, lingering crime issues, and limited tree canopy.

Click here to view my Lincoln Park Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Solid urban density with 12K people per sq mile.
* Highly convenient access to Dwtn given its proximity.
* Great public transit access and a very multiple modal neighborhood thanks to a great bike infrastructure and good access to retail amenities.
* Wonderful economic and racial diversity.
* High # of walkable schools across a diverse age range here but mixed ratings.
* Fair amount of affordable housing located in the neighborhood. This is certainly reflected by the fact that 1/4 of the population is living in poverty.
* Good but not great park amenities with La Alma Park and Sunken Gardens Park.
* Great cultural amenities including a good array of restaurants, bars, cafes & a couple breweries. Many art galleries, several community theaters, and a couple museums as well. Great access to all the museums in neighboring Triangle Square.
* Solid retail amenities including a supermarket, a couple grocerias, a drug store, good # of boutiques/consignments stores and creative stores, a couple antique stores & gyms, a public library and a couple churches.
* Lots of cute historic bungalows and generally good urban in-fill.
* Overall great urban massing along Santa Fe. Autocentric areas creep in along 6th Ave, and western/industrial edge and the northern edge.
* Great streetscaping along Santa Fe.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generally good sidewalk infrastructure but ADA curb cuts are often generally dated, especially on residential streets.
* Good amount of auto centric crud in spots.
* Limited generational diversity. Lots of single young adults living here.
* Good # of rentals but on the pricy side. Studios & 1-beds lease btwn the mid 1Ks to 2K, 2-beds mid 1Ks -mid3K. Some 3-beds available generally leasing in the 3Ks.
* For sale properties are also expensive but decent variety and a good # of 1-beds and 2 beds in the district. 1-bed condos/homes selling in the 300KS-600Ks. 2-beds range from 450-800K, 3 & 4 beds homes sell btwn 475K-1 M.
* So tree canopy.
* Some crime and safety issues in Lincoln Park but overall the neighborhood feels safe.

Denver’s Golden Triangle- The City’s Institutional Art just South of Downtown

The name Golden Triangle originated from the Golden Triangle Neighborhood Association, a later name given to the district. Some also refer to the district as “The Civic Center” after Civic Center Park and many civic institutions developed by Denver’s Mayor Robert Speer between 1904-1919. The neighborhood’s roots, however go back to the late 19th century making this one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods. Many single family Victorian homes and bungalows were built here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

After WWII the district seems to have fallen into a bit of disarray replacing with many buildings with parking for State office works and low intensity warehousing and industry. Starting in the 1990s, perhaps as the result of the new Central Library, the neighborhood began its transformation into a functional multi-use neighborhood. New condominium and loft developments came into the neighborhood, and many of the old supply stores and garages were transformed into restaurants, art galleries, and small offices. The neighborhood also has a vibrant arts scene playing off the energy of the Denver Art Museum and Kirkland Museum. There are also many other museums and governmental buildings here as well.

Yet, there is still much urban transformation work needed here starting with the infill development to replace the many remaining surface parking lots and revitalize many underutilized bldgs, especially the southern half of Broadway. The neighborhood also lacks a good tree canopy, walkable schools, park amenities, diverse housing options and many retail amenities. This could become a premiere urban district with wonderful access to Dwtn if developers and civic leaders put their minds to it.

Click here to view my Golden Triangle Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Generally very good sidewalk and ADA infrastructure. Around 25% of curbs don’t have modern ADA curbs.
* Excellent bike infrastructure and public transit access.
* Very convenient access to Dwtn across all modes. This is a very walkable neighborhood.
* Excellent economic diversity and decent racial diversity.
* Golden Triangle hosts the city’s best concentration of museums including the Denver Art Museum, Women’s History, Kirkland Museum, History CO Center & several smaller ones. Also solid food & beverage industry here, good # of night clubs, several art galleries, and a local theater.
* Some debate about it but Golden Triangle is actually a pretty safe place overall. Part of the perception of crime here is due to its large homeless population and a fair amount of blight along Broadway Ave.
* Some good historic architecture mixed throughout but mostly modern in-fill now of a mixed quality.
* Very good mixed use quality.
* Golden Triangle does hosts the main Denver public library and a quality post office.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So urban density here.
* Not great tree canopy.
* Large number of surface parking lots and urban form is hit or miss.
* Few households with children but good age diversity among adults.
* Several walkable schools within the Golden Triangle or nearby but generally not rated well and smaller schools.
* For sale hsg on the pricy side and not many moderately priced condos. 1-beds sell btwn 400K-600K, 2-beds btwn 450K-900K, 3&4 beds sell btwn 700K-1.3M.
* Studios & 1-beds lease btwn 1.5K-2.5K, 2-beds btwn 2.5K-3.5, and very few 3 beds units available.
* Parks are limited to the State House/Civic Center Park and the Sunken Gardens Park.
* Ok retail amenities including a supermarket, a couple boutiques, a record shop, several gyms, a couple dessert shops, a few churches and a major hospital on the SW side of district. Good access, however, to all the retail amenities of Dwtn and the capital district.
* Decent urban orientation of bldgs that stand and decent streetscaping but lots of surface prkg lots remain here.
* Some pedestrians areas but lots of dead spots.

North Capitol Hill, Denver- Part Downtown and Part Urban Neighborhood

North Capitol Park is often referred to as Uptown. This district along with Capitol Hill was one of the first neighborhoods where the wealthy of the City settled in the 1870s and 1880s. But similar to Capitol Hill it experienced a downturn after WWII and many historic homes where either demolished or converted into rentals. The edge of the district near Dwtn also got more or less incorporated in the CBD with some office buildings but also a lot of surface parking lots and underutilized space.

Currently, North Capitol Park is undergoing significant redevelopment and gentrification, with many young residents and transplants moving here. This is largely due to its proximity to Dwtn, walkability, and significant cultural amenities and night life.

For North Capitol Park to become a great neighborhood lots of in-fill development is needed in the western half of the district. Because of all the surface parking lots here it lacks great urban cohesion. Parks of Colfax Avenue are also pretty auto centric. The district also needs more parks and trees.

Click here to view my North Capitol Hill Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great urban density.
* Walkable access to Dwtn. Also great transit service and bike infrastructure here.
* Good but not great ADA infrastructure as many curbs are missing modern ADA cuts.
* Pretty good access to walkable schools within or near North Capitol Park. Generally good ratings.
* Hsg on the pricey but a ton of moderately price condos. 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 300K-600K, 2-beds 350K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 500-1.3M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Tons of rentals and comparatively moderately priced comparted to other Denver neighborhoods. Studios 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1Ks, 2-beds 1.5K to 3K, 3-beds are limited. It seems there are a good amount of affordable hsg here.
* Great cultural amenities including many restaurants, bars, nightclubs & cafes. Also several art galleries, a couple live music venues,. Also great access to all the many cultural assets Dwtn and in the Golden Triangle.
* Good retail amenities including several gourmet super markets, a home depot a couple drug stores, some boutiques , home good and creative stores, tons of banks, a bookstore, several desserts shops & gyms, and plenty of churches. Also walkable access to the many retail options along 16th street (Dwtn) including a Target.
* Nice historic homes on the eastern half of the district. Some very spectacular bldg.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generally a safe area. Some sketchy stretches along Colfax and some lingering crime issues.
* Park Amenities are limited to the small Benedict Fountain Park and Civic Center Plaza.
* Ok tree canopy better on the eastern half.
* Good # of surface parking lots, esp. on the western half close to dwtn. Weird mix of infill, historic bldgs and parking lots here.
* Colfax avenue is a mix of good and poor urban form.

City Park West- Located just West of Denver’s Premiere Urban Park

City Park West is name altered Denver’s City Park, which sits immediately east of the neighborhood. The Park was laid out in the late 19th century and largely followed City Beautiful Movement design values of the 1890s but also incorporated the flowing and casual design espoused in New York’s Central Park.

The City Park West neighborhood is a mix of larger turn of the century single family homes, early to mid 20th century apartment buildings, and townhouse infill projects since the 2000s. The neighborhood excels at providing a comfortable mixed-use environment with convenient public transit and bike infrastructure and is a short distance to Downtown. The neighborhood is also one of Denver’s most economically diverse districts and also boasts great racial diversity.

Colfax Avenue is the biggest area of improvement as it is kinda seedy and rather autocentric in orientation still. There is also a need for more walkable schools, affordable housing, and better retail amenities including a supermarket.

Click here to view my City Park Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Decent urban density.
* Good but not great ADA infrastructure as many curbs are missing modern ADA cuts.
* Good bike infrastructure including several bike lanes and couple dedicated bike stations.
* Solid public transit and convenient access to Dwtn among all modes.
* One of Denver’s most economically diverse district. All good racial diversity.
* Seems to be a fair amount of affordable hsg available here.
* City Park, Denver’s best urban park, sits on the eastern edge of the neighborhood. No other parks in the neighborhood although Chessman Park is only a couple blocks south.
* Great Tree Canopy.
* Solid architecture both historic and infill.
* Good cultural amenities including plenty of restaurants, bars & cafes, an indie film house, a couple live music venues, and a couple night clubs.
* Very mixed use with lots of food & beverage business spread throughout the district.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Limited generational diversity as this is mostly filled with young adults.
* Several schools within City Park West are nearby but mixed ratings.
* Housing on the pricy side. Some more modestly priced condos available. 1-beds sell btwn 325K-1M, 2-beds 350K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 425K to the mid 1 Ms.
* Decent # of rentals but also pretty pricy. Studios and 1-beds lease btwn the low 1Ks-2K, 2-beds btwn high 1Ks-3K, 3-beds 2K-4K.
* Generally a safe area. Some sketchy stretches along Colfax.
* Urban form is so along Colfax Ave. Some crummy auto centric. modern infill here.
* Decent but not great retail amenities including a drug store, a couple boutiques & unique stores, a toystore, several banks, dessert joints & gyms, and post office. Also a major hospital here and several churches.
* No supermarket within City Park West but plenty in surrounding neighborhoods.

Capitol Hill, Denver’s First Bohemian Neighborhood

Capitol Hill was originally home to Denver’s elite who constructed many elaborate mansions here. When the Denver economy crashed after the Silver Crash of 1893, Capitol Hill’s housing transition to more modest homes and apartment buildings. The neighborhood remained middle-class until the 50s. At that time Capitol Hill became pretty seedily with lots of transients. Colfax Avenue also suffered in the 50s & 60s with the construction of I-70 and went into a downward spiral.

Fortunately Capitol Hill’s fabric remained intact and its affordability, urban character and eclectic architecture appealed to young bohemians, artists, musicians leading to a gradual gentrification that reached its height during the 2000s. Rents have increased significantly over the past decade but Capitol Hill still retains many of its moderately priced rentals and condos thanks to more many dated mid-century multi-family bldgs. While Colfax Ave has certainly improved, it still retains much of its historic grittiness and some blight. Many urban in-fill opportunities exist along Colfax Ave.

Capitol Hill is one of Denver’s most dense neighborhoods and is conveniently located about 1.5 miles from Downtown. This has created a very mixed-use and culturally vibrant community where one can get around easily by any mode of transit. The two main areas I’d especially like to see improve are better schools and a larger multi-generational population. Capitol Hill is very much a young professional district. There are also some surface lots on the western edge that need urban in-fill and park amenities could be better.

Click here to view my Capitol Hill neighborhood on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* One of Denver’s most dense districts.
* Overall excellent ADA infrastructure.
* Excellent public transit close to Colfax. Decent further south in the neighborhood.
* Great connectivity in the street grid.
* Good array of bike shares but only one dedicated bike lane in the neighborhood.
* Very convenient access to Dwtn across all modes of transportation.
* Great economic diversity. Decent racial diversity.
* Hsg on the pricey but a ton of moderately price condos. Studios & 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 200K-700K, 2-beds 250K-low 1Ms, 3 & 4 beds btwn 350-1.5M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Tons of rentals and comparatively moderately priced comparted to other Denver neighborhoods. Studios 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1Ks, 2-beds 1.5K to 2.5K, 3-beds are limited and lease around 3K. Good # of dedicated aff. hsg here.
* Great cultural amenities including many food & beverage businesses, several art galleries, plenty of night clubs, a couple local theaters, lot of live music venues, tons of museums and historic homes (esp. when you include the Golden Triangle).
* Good retail amenities including a couple grocery stores & drug stores, several boutiques, home good & creative stores, a bookstore, some banks, and gyms, & dessert venues. There is also a Children’s hospital and many churches here.
* Great mixed-use fabric including lots of office space near dwtn.
* Overall quality urban architecture both old and new.
* Some auto centric spots along Colfax, Lincoln, and Broadway but overall very good urban form

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generational diversity is limited. Most residents are childless young adults.
* Good # of schools here but very mixed ratings.
* Parks are limited to a couple parkettes, the State House/Civic Center Park, and decent access to Cheesman Park.
* Generally a safe district but it does have some grit and sketchy spots on Colfax and 13th Street.
* Decent tree canopy but below average for Denver.
* Some surface parking lots on the western edge of Capitol Hill.

Cheesman Park- An solid urban district surrounding its namesake park and the Denver Botanic Garden

The Cheesman Park neighborhood is one Denver’s older districts with City plats dating as far back as 1868. By 1883 the district was annexed into Denver and the neighborhood was filled in by about 1910. The neighborhood revolves around its namesake Cheesman Park, which was completed by 1915. The park and the Denver Botanic Gardens replaced the old Prospect Hill Cemetery. Thanks to this great asset many mansions where built here for the City’s elite yet by the 1930s many apartment buildings were constructed and replaced the historic mansions. The densification of the district continued into the 1960s as more and more apartments were constructed.

Because of the construction of many apartment buildings between 1930s-1960s, Cheesman Park hosts many affordable apartments and condos buildings that mix in well with higher end single family homes. The district also has great access to Dwtn and good public transit access. Areas that could improve include better ADA and bike infrastructure, more racial and generational density, better schools access, and urban infill along Colfax Avenue, which feels rather auto centric and lacks retail amenities.

Click here to view my Cheesman Park album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent urban density.
* Convenient access to Dwtn.
* Great connectivity here.
* Wonderful economic diversity here.
* Hsg on the pricey but a good amount of moderately price condos. Studios & 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 200K-700K, 2-beds 300K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 450-2M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Decent # of rentals and comparatively moderately expensive to other Denver neighborhoods. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1ks, 2-beds 1.5K to 2.5K, 3-beds in the 4 & 5Ks but few of them.
* Wonderful access to park amenities as Cheesman park sits in the middle of the district and comprises about 1/3 of the neighborhood. The park has very diverse amenities too. City Park is also not too far away.
* Good cultural amenities including a good array of restaurants, bars, night clubs, and cafes. There is also a performing arts center, indie theater, a couple historic homes, and the Denver Botanical Garden.
* Good but not great retail amenities including a supermarket, a couple pharmacies, a bookstore, a couple antiques stores, several banks, several dessert & gyms and a local post office. A couple major hospitals are only 1/2 mile north of here.
* Very attractive historic architecture and generally good urban in-fill with the modern towers.
* Excellent tree canopy.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Good but not great ADA infrastructure as only 1/2 of the curb cuts are up to modern standards.
* Good but not great public transit access. Much better in the northern half than southern half.
* A bit of a dead spot for bike infrastructure in the Inner City. Few dedicated bike lanes. Decent access to the City’ bike share.
* Limited racial and generational diversity.
* Generally a very safe community although some crime appears to occur in the park itself.
* No schools within Cheesman Park but a couple good ones on nearby.
* Colfax Avenue is pretty autocentric along its stretch touching Cheesman Park.

Congress Park- a solid Denver Urban District located south of City Park

I included the small neighborhood between Colfax and City Park in the Congress Park neighborhood as this area is too small to evaluate on its own.

By the late 1880s, the air quality in Denver had pushed the population to the outskirts of town and cable car improvements made the eastern sections of the Capitol Hill neighborhood more accessible to the middle class. Congress Park was platted into more than ten subdivisions between 1887 and 1888 as part of this growth and incorporated into the City of Denver. While originally known as Capitol Heights, the Congress Park name has been used since the 1970s.

This is a solid district from an urban perspective with its 3 commercial districts along Colfax, Colorado Blvd. and the very mixed-use 12th Avenue. Congress Park also has solid public transit & bike access, good parks, great cultural and good retail amenities, and a good amount of affordable apartments and condos thanks to its numerous mid-century buildings.

Major deficiencies in Congress Park include a lack of racial and generational diversity, some autocentric gaps along Colfax & Colorado Blvd. and lacking a walkable public library.

Click here to view my Congress Park album on my Flickr page

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great sidewalk and good ADA infrastructure although with a fair amount of outdated curb cuts.
* Wonderfully connected street network.
* Good economic diversity.
* Over a very safe community.
* Decent # of walkable schools here or nearby and well rated.
* Decent # of rentals and comparatively moderately expensive to other Denver neighborhoods. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1ks, 2-beds low 1Ks to 3K, 3-beds in the high 2Ks to 4K.
* Hsg on the pricey but a good amount of moderately price condos. Studios & 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 200K-1M, 2-beds 300K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 500-2M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Good park amenities with City Park on the northern border, Chessman park on the western and Congress park filled with athletic courts and a pool.
* Great tree canopy.
* Great cultural amenities including many restaurants, cafes, & bars, a couple breweries and art galleries, a major cineplex & and an indie theater, and several music venues. Also good access to several museums in City Park and the Denver Botanical Gardens to the west.
* Good retail amenities too including a Trader’s Joe and a couple grocerias, a couple drug stores, several boutiques & creative stores a bookstore, a hardware store, a post office, and several dessert and gyms stores. There is also a major hospital here.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* No public library in Congress Park.
* So racial and generational diversity.
* Generally good modern in-fill but still some autocentric development along Colorado Blvd. and Colfax.
* Good but not great public transit access. Same with bike infrastructure as there are a couple dedicated bike lanes and some bike shares available.

Cherry Creek- Denver’s High-End City Neighborhood Shopping District

The Cherry Creek area was originally called Harman, which was annexed into Denver in 1895. The low lying area around the Cherry Creek was the legacy of black homesteaders,. By the 20s Cherry Creek was considered a suburb and still largely African-American. In 1950 a couple of major improvements occurred: a dam was built, which significantly reduced regular flooding and the neighborhood dump was removed and redeveloped as the first edition of the Cherry Creek Mall. By 1990, the mall was replaced with high-end outlets and department stores that upped the area’s prestige. Cherry Creek also began to densify in the 1990s especially along the main commercial centers of First, Second, and Third Avenues becoming more mixed-use medium sized structures. Most of the older single family homes have also been rebuilt as a mix of very high end SF homes and townhomes.

From an urban perspective, I generally view Cherry Creek’s densification as a positive force but unfortunately this came with limited new affordable housing creating a pretty homogenous high-end community. But Cherry Creek does host some of the best cultural and retail amenities outside of Dwtn plus solid bike & public transit access along with quality park amenities. From an urban form perspective Cherry Creek does well but still has some pretty autocentric stretches that should be redeveloped.

Click here to view my Cherry Creek Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Good public transit access and pretty convenient access to Dwtn among all modes of transit.
* Great connectivity in the street grid.
* Quality bike infrastructure here.
* This is a very safe community.
* Solid park amenities include recreational trails along Cherry Creek, the multi-faceted Pulaski Park, and James Manley Park.
* Sidewalk infrastructure is good but about 1/3 of curb cuts are outdated.
* Great cultural amenities including tons of restaurants, night clubs, bars, cafes, plenty of art galleries, a cineplex, and some live music venues.
* Some of the best retail amenities in a Denver neighborhood including the extensive Cherry Creek Shopping Center that includes tons and shops and several dept stores, a couple supermarkets, a couple drug stores, lots of boutiques, home goods, & clothing stores, plenty of banks, gyms, & dessert joints, and a large medical center.. There is also a suburb shopping mall on the SE edge of the district with a Target & lots of other stores.
* Most of the neighborhood is built after WWII and the architecture is generally urban.
* Very mixed-use district.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Decent density.
* Diversity is pretty low across all indicators especially generational and economic.
* Hsg is certainly on the expensive end. Wide range of pricing for 1-bed condos selling anywhere from 225K-1.4M, 2-beds 375K-2 M., 3 & 4 beds 700K-5M even with some more expensive product.
* Rentals are all very expensive. Studios & 1-beds lease btwn 1.5K- mid 3Ks, 2-beds 2K-4K, 3 -beds 3K-6K.
* Better walkable schools access than most Denver neighborhoods including several well rated schools. But not great.
* Limited historic architecture.
* Generally good urban massing but a fair amount of auto centric stretches too.